POV: Maya

I managed to avoid everyone for the rest of Tuesday, hiding in the library during lunch and slipping out between classes before anyone could corner me. But Wednesday morning, I had English first period, and there was no getting out of it.

I walked into the classroom with my head down, taking my usual seat in the back corner. The room was mostly empty, I always arrived early to avoid the crowd. I pulled out my copy of The Great Gatsby and pretended to read, but the words blurred together on the page.

All I could think about was Mr. Whitmore's ultimatum. Three more days to decide whether...